Beyond a Poetry Review

i write therefore i am (?)

By Roy Anthony Shabla 

Poetry Book

Pre-review by John Brantingham

My friend Scott once said that bad poets get into language poetry so they can just write the word “duck” on a piece of paper ten times and be done with it.

 

I don’t know if that’s necessarily true, but it feels like it.

 

By way of explaining, language poetry is a movement that started with poets like Gertrude Stein and took off in the 1970s and emphasizes the way words work together instead of meaning.

 

It’s easy to do badly.

 

Gertrude Stein did it well.

 

So does the Downey, CA,  poet Roy Anthony Shabla.

 

Or rather, Roy’s not exactly doing language poetry. Roy’s a poet who has worked in with narrative poetry for years (think Robert Frost) and is bringing elements of language poetry into his work so he’s able to make those the stories in his poems have music.

And it’s not as though he’s just dropping the word “duck” into his poems ten times in random spots. That would be like dropping it in this piece for absolutely no reason.

Duck

Duck

Duck

Duck

Duck

Duck

Duck

Duck

Duck

Duck

 

No, Roy Anthony Shabla is a poet who is able to combine language poetry with narrative poetry to create an emotion that goes beyond the story that he’s telling. His work is elegant and often difficult, the kind of work that you can read again and again to gain more insight into what he’s saying and the worldview that his work is coming out of.

 

Roy has a new book coming out, and I’m going to be the first in line to buy it. I’ve loved his other books, but from what I’ve heard of this newest book, he’s plunged more deeply into the language poetry, and I’m interested in what he has to say.

 

Better yet, he’s going to be reading his work this Saturday in Downey, CA,  at 7:30pm. He’ll be at 9029 Florence Avenue in Downey, just off the 605 in a barbershop off all places, Roni’s #34. There’s an open mic beforehand so if you’ve written something you’re proud of, bring it.

 

I’m going to be there, and so is most of the crew for the upcoming San Gabriel Valley Literary Festival. It’s going to be great.

~More about the poet, Roy Anthony Shabla:
the films ~ roy anthony shabla
the books ~ roy anthony shabla
the paintings ~ roy anthony shabla

 

 

 

~~More about the reviewer:

John Brantingham is the author of:

Mann of War

Oak Tree Press 2012-2013

Poetry Chapbook.

Let Us All Pray Now to Our Own Strange GodsWorld Parade Books 2012-2013

Study AbroadWormwood Chapbooks, October 2012, Pre-Order Now!

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